HOME | DD

Description
"Admit it, you like me."

He knew he wasn't going to like this conversation the moment he stepped into the hall. She was alone, looking into the waters of the bay below. Waiting. Unease had crept into the pit of his stomach as he approached her, asking if everything was alright. Something different shone in her eyes, something he could not identify. He was wracking his mind for a label when it was replaced with overconfidence—the kind one summons when they are nervous. The kind she summons when she's nervous. That's when her words rang through the arena's majestic hall.

And he did. He liked her a lot. When Bolin had been taken, she had been there to help him more than she could ever realize. Not only had she helped rescue Bolin from Amon's mysterious clutches, but she had saved him from himself. What he would do without Bolin… he didn't want to think about it. Growing up, his worst nightmares were those of being separated from his brother. The firebender who had killed their parents coming back to deal the last blow to Mako's perseverance. His brother getting wrapped up with the Triads and paying with his life. Recently he had one where his brother simply left to live with one of his fangirls. Not just any fangirl—more than just a fangirl. He left to live in the South Pole with Korra. It wasn't just the notion of his brother being gone that left him terrified in the morning. In that dream he had lost Korra too.

He knew that his brother had a thing for the fierce avatar. He knew that Korra couldn't stay in Republic City her whole life. He knew that if and when she needed to leave—that if Bolin wanted to accompany her—he couldn't deny them their freedom. That was why, now, he was looking away from her, telling her that, "No, I don't."
Neither was convinced.

He didn't look up at her. He knew her eyes would be either filled with questions, or hurt. He could not handle either. So he continued past her, to where, he knew not.

"Mako, wait." Her voice was so neutral, so monotone. He complied. "Look at me." He didn't.

Her hand found his face, and he knew he was going to have to look. So he steeled himself, not backing from this challenge. When she lifted his chin, he stared straight in her eyes, as masked as he could muster.

And she stared back, searching and finding the answers despite his visage.

"I can admit it," she said softly. "I like you."

Hearts and minds do not think alike, and despite his calculated left-brained way of thinking his heart got the first say this time, skipping. As a result he inhaled sharply before shaking his head.

"That has nothing to do with it." His voice was strained despite his attempts to keep it clear.

And so she looked further. It didn't take long. "Bolin…"

He averted his eyes.

"Mako," she paused, waiting for his eyes to return. They didn't. She sighed. "He hasn't told you yet?"

His brow furrowed. "Hasn't told me what?"

"That he doesn't like me… like that. He was saying something about watching us interact during our practices and our celebrations. He was telling me about all the times you watched his back and helped him out. He wanted to return the favor."

He shook his head again as if in disbelief; searching her face, her eyes, for the answer. "When did you talk about all of this?"

She thought a moment, her eyes searching in the ceiling. "About 10 minutes ago? We got on the topic of my feelings and well, he gave me some very Bolin-esque advice. So here I am."
He'd heard all about Bolin's advice throughout the years. The idea brought a small quirk to his lips. "You actually listened to Bolin's 'Dating Tips?'"

A smile came to her as well, her eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "Well, it's not that absurd is it? I mean, he knows you better than anyone else."

He nodded, "this is true."

"So," she captured his eyes with her own once more, eyebrows raised expectantly, "have you had a change of heart, then?"

He swallowed. He had not been prepared for this confrontation at all. "No."

The shine in her eyes had dulled as her face fell into the most confused expression he had ever seen. "But I've had a change of mind." He almost winced at his words. That was so cheesy what were you thinking. Obviously not a whole lot because this is Korra we're talking about, why couldn't you have said someth—

His train of thought was interrupted by her smile. It was too brilliant; his mind shut down, leaving its responsibilities with the overactive organ in his chest. His arms folded around her waist and they met one another half way, lips interlocking. When they finally had to break for oxygen content smiles ghosted their faces. Her eyes, however, held a daring sparkle in them. "Admit it," she said, pressing her nose to his in adoration. He lifted her then, pressing another kiss to her mouth. She smiled against the kiss, snaking her arms around his neck before returning it.

"I like you."

Description
"Admit it, you like me."

He knew he wasn't going to like this conversation the moment he stepped into the hall. She was alone, looking into the waters of the bay below. Waiting. Unease had crept into the pit of his stomach as he approached her, asking if everything was alright. Something different shone in her eyes, something he could not identify. He was wracking his mind for a label when it was replaced with overconfidence—the kind one summons when they are nervous. The kind she summons when she's nervous. That's when her words rang through the arena's majestic hall.

And he did. He liked her a lot. When Bolin had been taken, she had been there to help him more than she could ever realize. Not only had she helped rescue Bolin from Amon's mysterious clutches, but she had saved him from himself. What he would do without Bolin… he didn't want to think about it. Growing up, his worst nightmares were those of being separated from his brother. The firebender who had killed their parents coming back to deal the last blow to Mako's perseverance. His brother getting wrapped up with the Triads and paying with his life. Recently he had one where his brother simply left to live with one of his fangirls. Not just any fangirl—more than just a fangirl. He left to live in the South Pole with Korra. It wasn't just the notion of his brother being gone that left him terrified in the morning. In that dream he had lost Korra too.

He knew that his brother had a thing for the fierce avatar. He knew that Korra couldn't stay in Republic City her whole life. He knew that if and when she needed to leave—that if Bolin wanted to accompany her—he couldn't deny them their freedom. That was why, now, he was looking away from her, telling her that, "No, I don't."
Neither was convinced.

He didn't look up at her. He knew her eyes would be either filled with questions, or hurt. He could not handle either. So he continued past her, to where, he knew not.

"Mako, wait." Her voice was so neutral, so monotone. He complied. "Look at me." He didn't.

Her hand found his face, and he knew he was going to have to look. So he steeled himself, not backing from this challenge. When she lifted his chin, he stared straight in her eyes, as masked as he could muster.

And she stared back, searching and finding the answers despite his visage.

"I can admit it," she said softly. "I like you."

Hearts and minds do not think alike, and despite his calculated left-brained way of thinking his heart got the first say this time, skipping. As a result he inhaled sharply before shaking his head.

"That has nothing to do with it." His voice was strained despite his attempts to keep it clear.

And so she looked further. It didn't take long. "Bolin…"

He averted his eyes.

"Mako," she paused, waiting for his eyes to return. They didn't. She sighed. "He hasn't told you yet?"

His brow furrowed. "Hasn't told me what?"

"That he doesn't like me… like that. He was saying something about watching us interact during our practices and our celebrations. He was telling me about all the times you watched his back and helped him out. He wanted to return the favor."

He shook his head again as if in disbelief; searching her face, her eyes, for the answer. "When did you talk about all of this?"

She thought a moment, her eyes searching in the ceiling. "About 10 minutes ago? We got on the topic of my feelings and well, he gave me some very Bolin-esque advice. So here I am."
He'd heard all about Bolin's advice throughout the years. The idea brought a small quirk to his lips. "You actually listened to Bolin's 'Dating Tips?'"

A smile came to her as well, her eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "Well, it's not that absurd is it? I mean, he knows you better than anyone else."

He nodded, "this is true."

"So," she captured his eyes with her own once more, eyebrows raised expectantly, "have you had a change of heart, then?"

He swallowed. He had not been prepared for this confrontation at all. "No."

The shine in her eyes had dulled as her face fell into the most confused expression he had ever seen. "But I've had a change of mind." He almost winced at his words. That was so cheesy what were you thinking. Obviously not a whole lot because this is Korra we're talking about, why couldn't you have said someth—

His train of thought was interrupted by her smile. It was too brilliant; his mind shut down, leaving its responsibilities with the overactive organ in his chest. His arms folded around her waist and they met one another half way, lips interlocking. When they finally had to break for oxygen content smiles ghosted their faces. Her eyes, however, held a daring sparkle in them. "Admit it," she said, pressing her nose to his in adoration. He lifted her then, pressing another kiss to her mouth. She smiled against the kiss, snaking her arms around his neck before returning it.

"I like you."